By Jen Rauch*
The UN must take proactive measures to ensure the internal security and safety of Syrian people to prevent further displacement and conflict by promoting collaboration with the Arab League of States and the Syrian Government, placing greater emphasis on ensuring Syria’s security, and incorporating Syrian civil society, particularly women, in the peacebuilding process.
Image by Abd Sarakbi on Unsplash
The situation in Syria demonstrates a need for a multifaceted international peacebuilding mission to provide complex solutions to create sustainable peace. The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), along with four consecutive Special Envoys, have been monitoring and implementing measures designed to maintain peace since protests began during the Arab Spring in March 2011.
Following the adoption of resolution 2042, and 2043, the Security Council established the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) led by Kofi Annan. Annan called for greater regional collaboration, involvement of Syrian civil society in peacebuilding, and enforceable disarmament measures, and under the current leadership of Special Envoy Geir Pedersen, the DPPA in Syria has sought to support the goals established in Kofi Annan’s 2012 Geneva Communiqué and Security Council resolution 2254, namely negotiating the creation of a “credible, inclusive, non-sectarian governance,” as well as a new constitution under free and fair UN-supervised elections.[i]
Despite the continued peacebuilding efforts by the UN Special Envoys, conflict persists in Syria with devastating consequences to its civilians. The Special Envoys have expanded their efforts to implement resolution 2254, often neglecting the Communiqué’s goals. Although democratization is certainly important to rebuild stability in Syria, it will be increasingly difficult unless the Special Envoy strengthens its peacebuilding efforts in two particular areas: 1) legitimacy and participation and 2) security.[ii]
Annan emphasized the importance of a Syrian-led political process, while Special Envoy Pedersen has stressed the value of multilateral peace negotiations.[iii] It is imperative that Mr. Pederson encourages more grassroots mobilization and involvement of Syrian civil society in the peacebuilding process. To allow this, Mr. Pedersen must first fully address the serious human rights violations and delay of humanitarian access in order to rebuild a stable Syria.[iv]
Without the basic needs of Syrians being met, it is impossible to imagine their ability to reasonably participate in the process of rebuilding Syria. Likewise, since women and children are most directly and severely affected by the persistent violence, Mr. Pedersen must make greater efforts to involve women civil society actors in peacebuilding. While the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board has increasingly acted as a facilitator between civil society and the UN by offering perspectives and advice towards sustainable peace[v], they are still limited to an advisory capacity instead of being an active member in the negotiations.[vi] To maximize local ownership of their own governance[vii], it is essential that Mr. Pedersen involves more women’s organizations in the negotiations and peacebuilding measures to recreate a democratic Syria.
Secondly, Annan’s Communiqué emphasizes that the Special Envoy and the League of Arab States must work together to ensure sustainable peace within Syria.[viii] Unfortunately, maintaining internal security has been unsuccessful. The UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs recently reported there have been only “limited developments in the implementation of resolution 2118,” which mandates the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.[ix] This serious oversight not only jeopardizes the internal security of Syrian civilians, but it also threatens to destabilize the confidence of the international community in Syria’s commitment to peaceful conflict resolution. Furthermore, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that most Syrian civilians suffer dangers including “instability… criminality, and the activities of terrorist groups,”[x] particularly arbitrary detention intended to “instill fear and suppress dissent” among the population.[xi]
As a result of this violence, a large number of Syrians are internally displaced in refugee camps, such as Al-Hol, where they are subject to intimidation by terrorist organizations controlling the local areas.[xii] Mr. Pedersen must therefore take more proactive measures to ensure the internal security and safety of Syrian people in order to prevent further displacement and conflict within Syria and among its neighbors. Otherwise, Syrian citizens’ willingness and ability to participate in the peacebuilding process and create a democratic Syria will be nearly impossible.
Moving forward, Mr. Pedersen must promote collaboration between the Arab League of States, the Syrian Government, and the UN to ensure that the first two points of the 2012 Geneva Communiqué are given greater importance. Without placing greater emphasis on ensuring Syria’s security and incorporating local Syrians, particularly women, in the peacebuilding process, the Special Envoy will continue to face difficulties in maintaining peace and creating a democratic nation, as envisioned under resolution 2254.
* Jen Rauch is a second year MS Global Affairs student at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs studying global affairs with a concentration in global gender studies and a specialization in the United Nations. Her research interests include international gender norms and standards of equality, especially culturally-adapted modes of women’s empowerment and patriarchal resistance in post-colonized states.
[i] “Special Envoy Syria.” Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, https://dppa.un.org/en/mission/special-envoy-syria#:~:text=In%20February%202012%2C%20the%20General,as%20the%20Joint%20Special%20Envoy. Accessed 7 March 2021
[ii] Paris, Roland. “Post-Conflict Peacebuilding.” The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations, edited by Sam Daws and Thomas G. Weiss, United States Institute for Peace, 2009, pp. 14-18.
[iii] “Without ‘constructive international diplomacy’ Syria’s peace process will not move forward.” UN News, 9 Feb. 2021, https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1084272. Accessed 7 March 2021
[iv] “‘Put Syrians first…finally’, UN rights investigators urge after deadly decade of conflict.” UN News, 18 Feb. 2021, https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1085062. Accessed 7 March 2021
[v] Kedia, Shruti. “Syrian Women Must Be at the Center of Building a Sustainable Peace in Syria.” DPPA Politically Speaking, 22 Dec. 2020, https://dppa-ps.atavist.com/syrian-women-must-be-at-the-center-of-building-a-sustainable-peace-in-syria. Accessed 7 March 2021
[vi] Ghanem, Mouna. “The UN-Led Peace Process for Syria Has Failed. Women Must Be Part of the Next One.” PassBlue, 8 March 2021, https://www.passblue.com/2021/03/08/the-un-led-peace-process-for-syria-has-failed-women-must-be-part-of-the-next-one/. Accessed 9 March 2021
[vii] Paris, Roland. “Post-Conflict Peacebuilding.” The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations, edited by Sam Daws and Thomas G. Weiss, United States Institute for Peace, 2009, pp. 18.
[viii] Security Council resolution 2042 Annex, Six-point proposal of the joint special envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, S/RES/2042 (14 April 2012), available from https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/724986?ln=en
[ix] “‘Limited progress in closing Syria chemical weapons file’, UN Disarmament Chief tells Security Council.” UN News, 4 March 2021, https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1086462. Accessed 7 March 2021
[x] “‘We can’t continue like this’: UN envoy’s grim assessment of Syria peace process.” UN News, 29 Jan. 2021, https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/01/1083412. Accessed 7 March 2021
[xi] “Fate still unclear of ‘tens of thousands’ of civilian detainees in Syria.” UN News, 1 March 2021, https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1086032. Accessed 7 March 2021
[xii] “UNICEF urges repatriation of all children in Syria’s Al-Hol camp following deadly fire.” UN News, 28 Feb. 2021, https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1085982. Accessed 7 March 2021
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